How passive fire protection materials work

Fire protection materials can respond to heat in very different ways. While intumescent materials expand and form an insulating protective layer, ablative materials rely on a different effect: they absorb thermal energy and thereby help lower the temperature on the protected side.

Product Manager Andreas Pfitzinger explains how this cooling effect works, why it matters particularly in confined installation spaces, and how this effect is demonstrated in the test setup.

Cooling in a fire: the principle behind ablative materials

KuhnOdice: Andreas, what challenge are customers looking to solve with ablative materials?

Andreas Pfitzinger: When a fire breaks out, the surface of a component can be exposed to extremely high temperatures. Many materials then alter their mechanical properties. Aluminium, for example, loses much of its mechanical strength even before it reaches its melting point. That can affect the component’s stability, so the aim is to preserve its integrity for as long as possible and protect critical components.

KuhnOdice: Why not just increase the amount of insulation?

Andreas Pfitzinger: That does sound like the most obvious solution, but in practice it doesn’t always work because space is often limited. More insulation takes up additional installation space, which is simply not available. Therefore, solutions are needed that provide effective protection even with thin layers. That is where ablative materials come in.

KuhnOdice: What happens to ablative materials when they are exposed to high temperatures?

Andreas Pfitzinger: Ablative materials contain chemically bound water that is released when heated. This process consumes energy drawn from the surrounding heat, creating a cooling effect that can slow heating on the protected side. It is rather like a sponge soaked with water and gradually dried by the sun’s energy. In the video, this normally hidden process becomes visible, with the escaping water vapour clearly showing how the material responds to heat.

KuhnOdice: What exactly does this mean in practice?

Andreas Pfitzinger: The simulation shows why ablative materials are especially relevant when installation space is scarce. If additional insulation layers cannot be used, the cooling effect of ablative materials can still help meet fire protection requirements.

From cooling to foaming

Ablative materials show how cooling can contribute to the protection of components in the event of a fire. However, not all fire protection materials react in the same way: intumescent materials, for example, rely on a different principle.

Read more: Intumescence – when heat causes a protective layer to form

The expert behind the tests

Andreas Pfitzinger has been with the company since 2018, formerly known as svt Products and now operating as KuhnOdice. In his role as Product Manager, he combines sound technical expertise with an understanding of practical requirements.

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